Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for Flame & Crystal Thorns by Kay L. Moody!
It’s time to fall back into the world of Faerie with another book set in Kay L. Moody’s fantastical world. This is a companion to the Bitter Thorn series, but you can also start here and read it as a brand new series. It also brings a really whimsical and tricky Faerie world, which I absolutely loved. It gave me The Cruel Prince vibes. Bring in those tricky fae bargains with a side-dish of wickedness, and also the enchanting and clever magic that will leave you desperate to find your way into a fairytale yourself.
Chloe is our main character and she’s so easy to love. She’s an apothecary and healer, and her #1 aim in life is always to take care of others. This does come back to bite her oftentimes, though, as people use her and take advantage of her self-sacrificing nature. She deserves the world, truly 🥺💛 I also adored how bookish she is and knows life’s TOP priority is food.
Quintus shifted his legs until they were crisscrossed underneath him. “You wake up from near death, and the first thing you want to do is read?”
She also has no interest in returning to faerie and the world of tricks and mind-games and swords. I liked that she is a powerful and clever heroine but also…..does not want to stab things. She freezes up in battle and she has no interest in training with weapons, and I admired her for it.
Quintus was also fantastic — he is a little bit of a schemer, but still has a good heart. He’s so convinced that Chloe is the only one who can help save Faerie. He has a lot to learn about not being a manipulative little bug, so it was nice seeing him develop too. And as much as they both denied it, they had feeeeeelings the whole time.
With the fae under attack, people falling ill from mysterious magic and iron plagues, and the war escalating, Chloe is forced to face the darkness at the core of Faerie and she’ll stop at nothing until people are safe.
Be sure to see my Q&A with Kay below 😍💛✨ And the INTL giveaway over on my Instagram!
@cgdrews thanks @kaylmoody & @mtmctours 😍 Out in hardcover NOW + q&a with Kay on my blog!! #books #flameandcrystalthorns #mtmctours #bookish #coverlove #booklove #booktok #booktiktok #booktoker #faebooktok ♬ Villain x hero waltz – Tae
Title: Flame and Crystal Thorns (Fae and Crystal Thorns #1)
Author: Kay L. Moody
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genres: YA Epic Fantasy
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads!
She vowed she’d never return to Faerie…But vows were made to be broken.
As a human girl, Chloe is perfectly happy being back in the mortal realm where she belongs. She’s even become the town apothecary. When a fae from her past shows up begging her to return to Faerie, she utterly refuses.
But then she finds out an angry group of mortals are using iron to hold an entire castle full of fae hostage. And of course, the hostages include Chloe’s older sister and her sister’s beloved. Reluctantly, Chloe packs a bag for what is supposed to be a short trip to Faerie.
But the mortals are more powerful than she expected. To fuel them, they have weapons, flames, and revenge. They won’t stop until they control every court in Faerie.
With the help of a new and mysterious magic and a too-handsome-for-his-own-good fae companion, Chloe has to save Faerie before her sister and the other fae are killed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kay L. Moody is the YA fantasy author of COURT OF BITTER THORN and THE ELEMENTS OF THE CROWN. Her books feature rich world building, slow burn romance, mythical creatures, and twisty plots. As a lover of strong female characters, books, and the color pink, she enjoys diving into magical worlds where characters can overcome even their darkest struggles. She lives in the western United States with her husband and four sons. Connect with Kay directly when you follow her on social media. Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram
Hi Kay! Thanks for chatting with me today! When did you get the first ideas for Flame And Crystal Thorns and how long did it take you to write?
I first got the idea for Flame and Crystal Thorns when I was writing my original fae series, The Fae of Bitter Thorn. Sometimes side characters become more vivid and intriguing than intended. It was while writing the last book in my previous series that I realized Chloe needed a series of her own. This new series (Fae and Crystal Thorns) is a spin off of my previous series, but it can be read even without reading the previous series. It took me about nine months to write.
Since you’ve written several incredible fantasy novels now, has anything about your writing process changed since you started?
I feel like my writing process is never consistent. I do always start with a loose outline. Then with each chapter, I make some notes/plans before I start writing that chapter. But how much I plan and how far ahead I plan always changes with each book. I just try to go with the flow and let the book discover itself a little bit.
Going with the flow is the best 😌👌🏻 Sometimes we just have to follow the characters. What are some of your favourite tropes to write?
My very favorite trope ever is the lost princess trope. But it’s the sort of trope I can’t include in each book, since it’s usually a spoiler to know if there’s a lost princess or not. I do plan to write more lost princesses in the future though. I also love enemies to lovers, save-the-world type plots, and orphans.
LOVE a lost royal (or two). Tell us a little about your world of Faerie! What’s it like?
My Faerie has six distinct courts that all have unique and magical landscapes. In Flame and Crystal Thorns, Chloe spends most of her time in the Court of Crystal Thorn, which is a lush forest with moss, streams, and vibrant greenery. But it’s also as dangerous as it is beautiful. The fae are selfish, bargains and vows are impossible to break, and a group of bloodthirsty mortals are trying to take over. They don’t attack Chloe right away, but she gets on their bad side pretty quickly once they realize she’s trying to help the fae.
I love getting lost in your worlds; you write Faerie so vividly! If you could have tea with any one of your characters, who would you choose?
I would probably choose Talise from my Elements of Kamdaria series. She can control the elements of water, air, earth, and fire, which could certainly make tea time more interesting. I’d love to see the fire sculptures and ice creations she could make.
And lastly! What are some of the best author moments you’ve had?
I remember so vividly when a reader told me she was doing cosplay as Elora from my Fae of Bitter Thorn series. I don’t know if anything has ever made me feel more like a legitimate author than that. I love it so much when readers care about my characters enough to bring them “out” of the books and into their real lives.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Kay, and congrats on yet another gorgeous release!!
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